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WeirdMusic.net INTERVIEWS: cutest/original - KERLI

World - famous,
MTV/Billboard chart - topping singer/songwriter KERLI Koiv was born in Elva (Estonia) , a soviet -occupied town with a population of 5,000, in 1987.... As a teen, she dreamed of becoming a pop star and studied singing, dancing, acting, and piano. In 2002, she won Fizz Superstar, a singing competition of 3 Baltic countries. In 2004, she was the runner-up in that year's Eurolaul , a televised competition that determines the song that will represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest. She continued to perform and write songs, ultimately scoring an audition with L.A. Reid (
Antonio "L.A." Reid - three-time Grammy Award -winning American record executive , songwriter , and record producer , best known as the co-founder of LaFace Records . He is responsible for signing and helping bring Toni Braxton , TLC , Usher , Ciara , OutKast , Dido , Avril Lavigne , and Pink to multi-platinum album sales. ) , who signed her to Island Def Jam in 2006.

"Love Is Dead" - album from KERLI , released July 8 , 2008 on Island Records . Produced by David Maurice (Jay-z, Garbage, Sugababes etc) , the album mixes different styles of music throughout the record. Kerli wrote this album in over five years. In an interview, Kerli mentioned the album's subject:

“

A lot of the songs I wrote when I was really depressed, and then the later songs I wrote after coming out from my depression, so the theme of the album pretty much is overcoming obstacles and overcoming the darkness. I'm really grateful for all these experiences because I believe that until you are absorbed by darkness you can't overcome it and face the light.

Kerli Awards and nominations

Year Title Award Nominated work Result

2008

MTV Europe Music Awards

Best Baltic Act

Kerli

Nominated

+ If you haven't already heard, Kerli has won an EBBA ( European Border Breakers Award ) for her outstanding commercial success in Europe. The award highlights the success of 10 debuting European artists in selling albums and touring outside their home territory . Previous winners have included: Adele, Lykke Li, The Script, The Ting Tings, & Tokio Hotel .

As a winner, Kerli is also nominated for a Public Choice Award which YOU the fans get to vote on!

WeirdMusic.net Magazine Exclusive Interview with Kerli:

- Do you Like/Write Weird Music ?
I mostly like and write weird music. People consider me a weirdo too. If I say weird I mean awesome.

- When and where did your experience in music start?
I was five and my mom took me to a kindergarden for the first time because in Estonia moms used to stay at home with their kids as long as possible when I was little. So there was this music teacher in the kindergarden and she told my mom that I had a nice pitch and she would love to work on me and take me to some singing competitions. But I was no easy diva to work with. The first song I picked out from 200, which she all needed to play and sing to me one by one until I found the one was "pretty okay". It was something about a crocodile. I guess I can be a bit of a tyrant when it comes to my art. Just good is not good enough.
- What are you currently working on and what are your plans for the rest of the year?
I wanna get my second album ready and continue doing everything I'm doing. I may go back to school and study fashion so I could completely make all my stage outfits. My dream is to be this fiercely independent beast who is able to do anything that has anything to do with my career. I already make pretty much everything I wear, do my own visuals and write my own music for a huge part but I wanna be absolutely undeniable in all of these things and I'm not yet. Maybe in like ten years I have a degree in everything I wanna do and plenty of experience. I also have this one big thing which underlies everything I do - it's being happy. If we are missing inner peace, everything else is worthless.

- What do you consider your greatest inspirational sources in music?
I used to be this all over the place artist type and only believed in pure creation and that it happens when it's supposed to and everything needs to be completely natural. God knows I gave my label some grey hair by refusing to cowrite stuff. But this was something I needed to do. Lately I have started looking for inspiration more consciously. Like I just went to chinatown to get a bunch of weird stuff and now I'm making some insane jewelry. And the last song I wrote is about a cultural icon who's name I can't tell yet cause this song is wicked and I want it to be a surprise. But I just googled him and then made all the facts into lyrics and it was so much fun. Almost like getting into a character and deciding that I'm gonna write the most annoying pop song. If I hate it, it's perfect for someone. And of course, people and other artists are a huge inspiration. And nature of course. Spending time in the nature is like becoming one with god and pure creation. I went above the clouds last week and I swear that fairies lived there. They had houses and all and we could all see them:)
- What are your favorite readings?
Right now I'm reading The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It's king Arthur's story seen through the eyes of a woman. It also talks a lot about the avalon and old magick and the power that people had before christianity. This book is really amazing. Normally I just read and study all kinds of herbs, planets, stones etc. More like inspirational magical stuff.

- In your opinion, what role does the third sector, public and non-
profit entities; have for music on the Internet?
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